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enUse citizens' energy to further projectshttp://www.altamontenterprise.com/opinion/editorials/regional/11072013/use-citizens-energy-further-projects
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>In the last quarter-century, we’ve watched and documented the way dedicated citizens, appointed by elected boards, can move a community forward. Recently, for example, we covered the recommendations made by a facilities committee appointed by the Guilderland School Board.</p>
<p>Citizens along with volunteer staff members and school leaders worked with an architect to sift through reams of data, make site visits, and determine what upgrades would be essential for security and maintenance. Ultimately, two propositions were developed — one with what the superintendent called “the guts” and the other with recommended upgrades to the high-school auditorium and football-field lighting. The voters will have their say on Nov. 14.</p>
<p>It would be unrealistic to expect every resident of the district to know the details or to have the expertise to determine what upgrades are needed. We trust the committee that made the recommendations that the school board adopted.</p>
<p>Of the municipalities we cover, most of them have comprehensive land-use plans. These have taken months or even years to develop, and they form a blueprint for development. The lion’s share of the work, often under the guidance of a hired planning consultant, is performed by committees of citizen volunteers who poll residents and businesses and gather information on resources and services to craft sensible recommendations on which zoning laws may later be based.</p>
<p>In recent years, on this page, we’ve urged the towns we cover in southwestern Albany County, including New Scotland and the Helderberg Hilltowns, which lie over Marcellus shale, to form committees that will make recommendations to their town boards on hydraulic fracturing whereby gas is freed by injecting water mixed with chemicals and sand at high pressure into wells to fracture rock.</p>
<p>It is instructive to contrast the approaches taken by two neighboring towns — Rensselaerville and Westerlo.</p>
<p>John Mormile, who chaired the five-member Rensselaerville committee, wrote in the preface, “An open-minded approach allowed us to sift through reams of data and information, separating available facts from mere rhetoric, and emotion from common sense.”</p>
<p>All of the five members were committed to seeing whether or not hydraulic fracturing was a “match” for the town’s comprehensive plan, which reflects “what the town’s citizens hold as important in our quality of life,” wrote Mormile.</p>
<p>After going over the committee’s charge and the history of natural gas drilling, the report, complete with footnotes that reference the source of materials, takes a careful look at what in Rensselaerville could be affected — impacts on water quality and supply, on property values, on roads and safety, and on community character and quality of life. The report concludes with a recommendation that the town board enact law to prohibit heavy industry, including gas, oil, and coal extraction.</p>
<p>“Any local economic benefit of natural gas development is not likely to outweigh the negative local impacts of the rural quality of life, safety, health, and well being of the citizens of the town of Rensselaerville,” the report concludes, basing that conclusion on the clearly written eighty pages that have gone before.</p>
<p>By contrast, the Westerlo committee was handicapped because the town, as yet, has no comprehensive plan to guide it.</p>
<p>The Westerlo committee of five — although they are not clearly named as in the Rensselaerville report — writes an unsigned introduction that begins, “Numerous townspeople expressed interest in the possibility that the hydrofracking industry would find a financial interest in Westerlo’s subterranean gas resources.” After concerns were raised, a committee was formed, it says, with the foremost criteria for membership being “total non-bias.”</p>
<p>The introduction goes on to say that the committee “was resolved to not make a unilateral decision” on whether to allow hydrofracking in Westerlo. “Instead,” it says, “they chose to provide factual, substantial information for the townspeople to review and decide the direction [to] take…The decision of whether or not to allow hydrofracking in Westerlo will be passed from this committee to our fellow citizens.”</p>
<p>It’s foolish to believe that each of the three thousand or so citizens in Westerlo would independently devote hours to researching hydrofracking and its effects on the town. Besides, state law does not allow for a public referendum on the matter as the town board once supposed.</p>
<p>In short, the committee abdicated its duty.</p>
<p>The report consists of about 140 pages of parts of other documents — much of it from the state’s environmental impact statement, which is itself flawed. There appears to be no correlation between generalized data and excerpts— ranging from statements from the industry to pieces of a congressional report — and the potential effect on Westerlo.</p>
<p>For example, Kathryn Z. Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, is quoted —saying, “Tens of thousands of jobs are now supported by our industry and dozens of sectors — from steel to construction firms — have been revitalized through the promise of clean-burning and abundant American energy” — alongside a 2011 congressional report stating, “Companies are injecting fluids containing chemicals that they themselves cannot identify.”</p>
<p>In amassing random viewpoints, the committee has drawn no conclusions.</p>
<p>Town board member William Bichteman, to his credit, said in July that the report should be revised and, by a 3-to-2 board vote, the board sent it back to the committee. That month, the board also extended its gas-drilling moratorium for another year.</p>
<p>In August, it looked as if Dianne Sefcik — a Westerlo resident who has been outspoken in her views against hydrofracking and against the committee’s secrecy — would be appointed to the committee as it reworked the document. At the August meeting, Bichteman said another committee would be formed to “redo or modify” the report and he had yet to find someone who was for hydrofracking as much as Sefcik was against it.</p>
<p>Sefcik went to the committee’s Oct. 21 meeting — and we are pleased it was an open meeting — but she was not included as one of its members. Bichteman is now saying that, while the committee is open to input, its members don’t want to add to their number. Two of the original five members have quit; the three who remain were part of the scattershot approach of the first report.</p>
<p>That indicates to us it won’t be substantially reworked. And that’s a shame because the current document is useless.</p>
<p>We urge not only Westerlo residents but any who live over Marcellus shale to look at recommendations from the Union of Concerned Scientists, which has developed a toolkit to improve decision-making on fracking, available online.</p>
<p>It recommends — and gives specific recommendations on how to do meaningful research locally — asking questions on water quantity and quality, on air quality, on land use and ecology, on infrastructure, on earthquake risk, on climate change, and on social and economic impacts.</p>
<p>The kit is comprehensive, covering specifics. For example, under water quality, it makes the important point that baseline testing — done before any fracking — is needed to determine later whether the fracking caused pollution.</p>
<p>Sefcik, who moved to Westerlo a decade ago for acreage that was, as she puts it, “clean and clear,” has devoted much study to hydrofracking and wrote in a letter to us of a trip she took to Pennsylvania to look at the effects of fracking there.</p>
<p>“The air quality really surprised me,” she said, noting that it made her eyes water and itch, gave her a headache and sore throat, and made her feel nauseous.</p>
<p>She has given much thought to how fracking might affect Westerlo and would like to see the report include a discussion of the Alcove and Basic Creek reservoirs and how the quality of Albany water might be affected; the effects on the Middle Hudson and Schoharie watersheds; the impact of truck traffic on roads and bridges; the source for the millions of gallons of water the fracking would require; the management of waste, which, she says, “The industry is shoving onto communities”; the effects on birds and animals; and the social and economic impacts.</p>
<p>A committee is the right body to study these matters. We urge Westerlo to reconvene a committee, as the board originally agreed it would, with members willing to do the work to get answers to the questions raised by the Union of Concerned Scientists as they apply to Westerlo.</p>
<p>The state’s top court is now hearing two cases from towns in central New York where gas companies were not deterred by municipal bans, asserting local zoning ordinances would be preempted by state law. The Appellate Division, in two unanimous decisions, ruled that towns can ban gas drilling within their borders.</p>
<p>While the state continues to delay approval for hydrofracking regulations, there is a window of opportunity for towns to act.</p>
<p>We implore Westerlo to use that window to assemble a hard-working committee, charged with producing a document that addresses local effects and that makes a recommendation.</p>
<p>Our view is clear and has been stated before: Municipalities must use the power of home rule to protect their citizens from the poison that could pollute for generations to come.</p>
<p>That may not be Westerlo’s view. But right now, the town is like a rudderless vessel; it needs the guidance of a committee that will do its work.</p>
<p><em>— Melissa Hale-Spencer</em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Post date:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">November 7, 2013</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Tags: </h3><ul class="links inline"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/hydrofracking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hydrofracking</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/committee" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">committee</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/citizens" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">citizens</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/research" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">research</a></li></ul></div><div class="easy_social_box clearfix vertical easy_social_lang_und">
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</div></div></div>Fri, 08 Nov 2013 00:36:11 +0000admin1489 at http://www.altamontenterprise.comResearch used to assess the health of Pine Bushhttp://www.altamontenterprise.com/opinion/columns/notes-pine-bush/08012013/research-used-assess-health-pine-bush
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden">by <a href="/author/sara-poggi" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Sara Poggi</a></div><div class="field field-name-field-images field-type-field-collection field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-images clearfix" about="/field-collection/field-images/211" typeof="">
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<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="http://www.altamontenterprise.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/Pine%20Bush%20column_0.JPG?itok=Yh1L4J03" rel="lightbox[field_image][]" title=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.altamontenterprise.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Pine%20Bush%20column_0.JPG?itok=wdayC0vQ" width="300" height="225" alt="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-description field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>— Photo from the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission</p>
<p><strong>All hands on deck:</strong> Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission science staff and volunteers conduct bird research in the Pine Bush Preserve, one of many summertime monitoring activities.</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Have you ever heard of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve? Better yet, have you ever visited it? Walked on the trails? Attended an educational program?</p>
<p>If you have never heard of the Pine Bush, I hope to help you come to know a bit more about it through this column. If you have visited before, I hope to point out something new to you, as I share what’s currently happening in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.</p>
<p>Summer is a busy time here in the Pine Bush Preserve. Seed collection; Karner blue butterfly surveys; bird banding; visiting camp groups; and Pine Bush Pups, our series of programs for preschool aged children, are just a few of the many projects going on.</p>
<p>Of course, there is a lot of action in the animal world, too. Karner blue butterflies are flying, buckmoth caterpillars are on the move, baby birds are hatching, and wildflowers are blooming. </p>
<p>If you have read this column before or visited the Pine Bush, you know that it is a unique place. This makes it a great location for a variety of different types of scientific research.</p>
<p>This research by preserve staff and university professors helps us assess the health of this rare ecosystem. It also helps us evaluate the effectiveness of management activities in the preserve, letting us know if a certain technique is working or not. The research also gives us the unique opportunity to include the latest findings in our education programs.</p>
<p>Scientific research is being conducted in the preserve to study animals big and small. Camera traps placed in managed and unmanaged parts of the Pine Bush Preserve help us to see what mammals are active in different areas.</p>
<p>In addition to mammals, there are several different research projects that monitor birds. Prairie warblers are a good indicator of the health of the pitch-pine, scrub-oak barrens, as this is the type of habitat that they breed in.</p>
<p>Two birds, the American woodcock and whip-poor-will, which are active in the evening, are also monitored. The whip-poor-will is of particular interest because, in the past, they were very abundant here but have become much less common in the Pine Bush and throughout much of North America.</p>
<p>Fall bird banding is a chance to document what birds are migrating through the area and MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) is a continent-wide coordinated bird banding effort that monitors breeding-season, landbird populations and helps inform conservation and management efforts.</p>
<p>Insects are another important area of research for the conservation staff here. The endangered Karner blue butterfly is monitored and has shown an increase from a few hundred in 1991 to more than 3,000 in 2012.</p>
<p>In addition to the Karner blue, the buckmoth (a New York State species of special concern), and the frosted elfin (which is threatened in New York State) are monitored.</p>
<p>There are also preliminary plans to reintroduce a butterfly, the regal fritillary, and a dragonfly, the banded bog haunter. The bog haunter specializes on the pine-barrens, vernal ponds, another rare habitat in the preserve.</p>
<p>In addition to all the research involving animals, wetlands are regularly visited to collect information about groundwater. Vegetation surveys are conducted to help determine overall ecosystem health and the suitability of restored habitat for some of our most rare animal species.</p>
<p>Another project is investigating how temperature and humidity change in frost pockets. These low valleys between the dunes are cooler at night than the dune ridges, experiencing repeated frosts well into June; their management may be important to buffering certain wildlife from the expected effects of climate change.</p>
<p>Pitch pine is also being monitored to determine if prescribed fire is adequately stimulating new seedlings. </p>
<p>As you can see, there is a lot of science going in Pine Bush Preserve. I have only brushed the surface in this article. </p>
<p>All the research that is done comes back to being able to assess the health of this rare ecosystem as part of our effort to create and manage a preserve that is healthy for many kinds of plant and animals for generations to come.</p>
<p>If you are particularly interested in research in the Pine Bush Preserve, please check out our Science Lecture Series. This is a series of free science talks that occur on the third Thursday of every month.</p>
<p>If you want more information about the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, the Discovery Center, or scientific research, feel free to check the website: <a href="http://www.AlbanyPineBush.org/">www.AlbanyPineBush.org</a>, give the commission a call at 456-0655, or stop into the Discovery Center at 195 New Karner Road in Albany.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-location field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Location: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/location/guilderland" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Guilderland</a></li></ul></div><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Post date:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">August 1, 2013</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Tags: </h3><ul class="links inline"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/tags/research" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">research</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1"><a href="/tags/data" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">data</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2"><a href="/tags/bird-banding" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">bird banding</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3"><a href="/tags/albany-pine-bush-preserve" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Albany Pine Bush Preserve</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-4"><a href="/tags/science" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">science</a></li></ul></div><div class="easy_social_box clearfix vertical easy_social_lang_und">
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</div></div></div>Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:55:43 +0000admin382 at http://www.altamontenterprise.com